Electric conductor



Feb. 20, 1934. E. J. SCHNEIDER El AL ELECTRIC CONDUCTOR Original Filed Jan. 14. 1928 3 a Y R n m N a u R T m n. T A y E 5 Pm-Feb. 20.1w

morale ooivnuc'ron Corporation, New

m York, N.!., a'corporatlmcfNew Jersey was. 8. 1929. Serial No.

mammalian-114, 1928,8erlalNo.-

Divided'and this application March 16 Claim. 118-264) This invention relates to electric conductors and particularly to devices of this class comprising two wires or strands, each mounted within protector casings or jackets and the two so constructed being arranged in pairs within a single casing or jacket; and the object of the invention is to provide one, two or more metallic strands arranged within the outer casing or jacket of the dual conductor in the recesses formed between 10 and at opposite sides of adjacent faces of said conductors and within said outer covering to form I a ground wire or conductor whereby grounding of fixtures, outlet boxes and the like in connection with which the conductor or the separate ll wires of the conductor are coupled, may be effected in a simple economical and eiiicient manner; a further object being to provide metallic strands of the class specified which in addition to providing a ground circuit also aid in reinl0 forcing and strengthening the entire product; a further object being to provide the supplemental strands or conductors in a product of the class specified which may be contained separately within a protector casing of any kind or class; a further object being to provide conductors of the class specified with a ground wire or wires which are kinked or spiral to provide greater flexibility thereto, especially in compensating for longitudinal stress or pull to which the conductor as a whole may be subjected as well as to sharp bends or twists made'in such conductor; and with these and other objects in view, the invention consists in a conductor of the class and for the purpose specified, which is simple in construc- IB tion, eflicient in use, and which is constructed as hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention described and claimed herein is a division of a prior application filed by us January 14, 1928, and bearing Serial No. 246,683, 40 and is fully disclosed in the following specification of which accompanying drawing forms a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which: I Fig. 1 is a side view of a part of a conductor made according to our invention and illustrating the arrangement of the protector casings thereon. Fig. 2 is a cross section of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic, sectional view similar to Fig. 2, but showing a modification.

Fig. 4 shows a side and' sectional view of a spiral ground conductor.

Fig. 5 shows a side and sectionalview of a kinked ground conductor; and,

Fig.6isaviewsimilartoFig. ibutshowing a modification. Y

Our invention relates primarily to a ground conductor for electric conductors of the class employing rubber, fibrous and similar protector casings, and our invention may be applied to any type of electric conductor of this class. For the purpose of illustrating one use of our invention and 'the'method of carrying our invention into effect, we have shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, two electric conductors and 10a, each of which is constructed in the same or substantially the same manner, and being enclosed first in a rubber casing or jacket 11--11a, then in a fibrous casing or jacket 1212a, consisting in the construction shown of spirally wound pairs of fibrous strips arranged edge to edge and wound in pairs with longitudinal strands of fibrous material 1313a interwoven with the separate strands or strips of the spiral wrap. Upon the casings 1212a are wrapped other casings of fibrous material 1414a consisting inv the construction shown of a multiple strand body, the separate strands of said body being arranged side by side and wound in multiple as clearly seen in Fig. 1. The two conductors 10-1011 with the casings or coverings thereon as above described are enclosed in an outer casing or jacket 15 preferably composed of a braided body of fibrous material. If desired,

the separate casings or jackets on the conductors 10-10a may be definitely colored to give contrasting appearance thereto for the purpose of identification of the live circuit wire. These casings may all be treated to render the same moisture and fireproof and to provide adhering properties thereto, especially to the casings 12-1211 and 14-14a to prevent unraveling thereof.

In'carrying our invention into efiect we mount within the outer casing or jacket-15 in the chambers or recesses 16 and 17 thereof at opposite sides thereof and between the adjacent ends of the wrapped conductors 10 and 11, small or comparatively light wires or conductors l8 and 18a, which is shownin Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing are contained within protector casings or jackets 19-19:; consisting of a spirally wound strip of fibrous material which may be treated in the same recesses 16 and Hand in addition provide ground wires for grounding an electric installation of any kind or class, in which the conductor is used for the conduction of the electric energy to such installation. It will be understood that one or two of these wires 18-18a may be employed, but one wire would be necessary if made of the required size and capacity. If one wire only is used, the other chamber will be filled with the usual type of filler strand.

It is also not essential that the strands 18 and 18a be encased in a protector covering, but in Fig. 3 of the drawing, we have diagrammatically shown the outline of the conductor with two strands or ground conductors 1818a mounted therein without employing the protector coverings thereon.

The strands l8 and 18a are regularly and recurrently deformed, and preferably are serpentine conductors. This deformation, for example. may be spiral as seen at 20 in Fig. 4 of the drawing or kinked as seen at 21 in Fig. 5 of the drawing. If spiralled or kinked as described, the extremities or outside diameter of the resulting product will be such as to fit within the chambers 16 and 17 or either of them in the conductor. This slight spiral or kinking of the ground strands will render the same more flexible to the twisting or bending stresses to which the entire conductor is subjected when in use as well as the longitudinal stress or pull thereon.

It will also be understood that the spiraled or kinked strands may be contained in a protector casing as in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, or in any other type of protector casing if it is found necessary or desirable so to do, but this will depend largely on the specific use of the device.

In electric conductors of the type specified, it has been heretofore impossible to provide for a grounding of the circuit to appliances, mechanisms or apparatus of any kind or class in connection with which the circuit conductor is employed, thus rendering said conductors objectionable, especially in that the live wire of the circuit may be improperly coupled with the electrical appliances, for example, the socket of the fixture to which the fixture is subjected, but by employing a ground wire in accordance with my invention, the fixtures and other apparatus in connection with which the circuit is directly or indirectly coupled may be grounded in accordance with the best practice of house wiring and other electric wiring.

In Fig. 6 of the drawing, we have shown a slight modification of the construction shown in Fig. 4 wherein a conductor 22 is spirally wound upon a strand 23 of any conducting material or insulating material, the latter forming means for facilitating the winding of the conductor 22, said strand being composed of flexible material so as not to interfere with the flexing of the conductor 22, and also increasing the strength of the conductor. It will also be understood that this conductor may be contained within a casing or jacket.

It will be understood that our invention is not necessarily limited to any particular type or arrangement of dual conductors of the classspecified, and various changes in and modifications of the construction herein shown and described may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of our invention or sacrificing its advantages.

Attention is directed to the fact that while the wrapped conductors 10 and 10a are sho n 88 spaced apart at adjacent faces when mounted within the outer casing 15, this is merely for the purpose of clear illustration. As a matter of fact, in the actual production of the device, these faces are preferably adjacent.

Having fully described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:-

1. The combination with a non-metallic sheathed cable comprising insulated conductors contained in an outer fabric sheath, of a ground conductor within said sheath and insulated from said first named conductors, said ground conductor having a serpentine formation for rendering the ground conductor fiexible when subject to transverse and longitudinal stress.

2. In a conductor employing a pair of electric conductors insulated one from the other and contained in a unit body, a supplemental body arranged intermediate and substantially parallel to the first named conductors and providing a ground conductor therefor, and said ground conductor being offset transversely relative to its normal longitudinal axis into sinuous form to render the same more flexible when subjected to longitudinal and transverse stresses.

3. A conductor comprising two metallic strands each contained in a rubber jacket, fibrous casings arranged on each jacket, an outer casing of f1- brous material encircling both of the conductors thus formed and a ground conductor arranged intermediate the first named conductors and in the valleys formed therebetween and inwardly of said outer casing, and said ground conductor being offset laterally in opposite directions relative to its normal longitudinal axis to form comparatively widely spaced curved portions rendering said conductor more flexible when subjected to longitudinal and transverse stresses.

4. In a cable employing a pair of electric conductors insulated one from the other and contained in a unit body, a supplemental conducting body arranged substantially parallel to the first named conductors and insulated therefrom and providing a ground conductor therefor, said ground conductor consisting of only one wire recurrently offset transversely relative to its normal longitudinal axis to render the cable more more flexible when subjected to longitudinal and transverse stresses.

6. The combination comprising a plurality of insulated electric conductors, a crimped bare conductor lying between them, insulating means overlying said bare conductor, and lying in the space formed by the contour of the insulated electric conductors, and a fabric sheathing over all of said elements.

7. In a cable, the combination with a plurality of insulated conductors and a protective covering therefor, of a conductor recurrently offset transversely with respect to at least one of said plurality of conductors and so positioned as to be protected by said covering.

8. In combination, a tubular-like sheathing, a plurality of insulated conductors positioned therein, and means including a crimped bare conductor for filling the remaining portions of said tubular sheathing.

9. The combination with a cable sheathed with non-metallic covering having a plurality of insulated current conductors therein, of a crimped bare conductor extending longitudinally thereof within the sheathing.

10. An article of manufacture comprising, in combination, a plurality of individually insulated electrical'conductors, a non-conducting sheath closely surrounding said insulated conductors, a conductor recurrently offset transversely of its longitudinal axis extending along said insulated conductors and lying substantially wholly within one of the spaces existing between said insulated conductors within said sheath, and non-conducting means substantially filling the other spaces between the various conductors within said sheath.

11. The combination comprising a plurality of insulated electric conductors, a crimped bare conductor lying immediately adjacent to them, fibrous material in the space formed by the contour of the insulated electric conductors, said material extending along said bare conductor, and a fabric sheathing for all of said elements.

12. An electric cable comprising a plurality of insulated conductors, and fillers in the valleys between said conductors including a conductor having a serpentine configuration to increase its extensibility and its effect as a valley filler.

13. An electric cable comprising a plurality of insulated conductors and a further conductor wound about a strand and lying wholly within and substantially filling one of the generally triangular shaped valleys between said insulated conductors.

14. A flexible cable comprising a pair of conductors insulated by spirally wound strips, a ground wire twisted about a strand and lying in and substantially filling one of the V-shaped valleys between said conductors, and a woven non-metallic sheath enclosing the whole.

15. A flexible cable comprising a pair of conductors insulated by extensible flexible material, a further conductor associated with a strand and having regularly recurring transverse deformations to provide flexibility and extensibility, said last mentioned conductor and its associated strand lying substantially wholly within and substantially filling one of the generally triangular shaped valley spaces between said insulated conductors, and a flexible sheath enclosing the whole.

16. The combination with a cable having a fabric sheathing therearound, of a serpentine conductor extending longitudinally of the cable and lying within the sheathing.

EDWIN J. SCHNEIDER. MERRII'I' B. BRAD'I'.

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